The Man I Love… For He Is On a Shooting Star
by VanishRain
Summary: Semi AU fiction set in Brennan's college years. She knows there is a man out there... somewhere besides in her dreams but first she must find a way to break the cycle, hoping her dream will one day be reality. Domestic violence and eventual adult themes.
1. Star, Light Up My Life

Love.

Joy.

Laughter.

All these things unobtainable to the most mundane human being but as I sit here staring into the black abyss of my heart I know it all went wrong with a singular kiss. A kiss from a man who left a foul taste in my mouth, since then I have never been clean. A sick, sadistic individual who lives life day by day… one unwavering truth beating me into a bloody pulp. Unable to rationalize anything above else.

_I love him._

A wish upon the darkest star.

A breath in the coolest of nights.

All risks I have taken, all risks that have left me more dead then the night before. I used to live but now my days are found looking for a singular way to survive. Just to get through until the sun sets and I can finally be at peace. The tears fall over my heart once more and I know I will never just be.

He took my life, my soul, all of me and for what? Nothing. That is all I have become. Nothing.

A life where I could just be me but as the waves keep coming crashing in, deeper and further then before I know they will soon draw me under.

Death.

Destruction.

Fear.

That has all I have become now and all I ever will be. The kiss of an angel brought me to life but as I fall quickly to earth I know the truth. He was never meant to be. We were never meant to be.

For my angel… he's my shooting star of unwavering devotion.

Falling back toward reality, cascading down from the heaven I once knew. Drawing me back toward the faint scent of a man I once loved but all but resent. I shudder at the way his mouth sloppily slides over mine, unable to get a breath in before it is over.

"Now that… baby was hot." The man rolls over my sticky body and back to his side of the bed, "Maybe we should try that again later." He winks and I cringe.

My fallen angel fell from heaven today. Instead of falling into the only loving arms he has know he fell into the dingy streets below. The scars he wears, of his tattered and broken wings, are the only constant reminder of the night we shared.

And that angel?

I will pray on a shooting star every night if that is what it takes.

Just to be happy once more.

For his love is worth more than all the setting suns and tainted sleep I have endured.

His love was worth my world.

For I have slowly learned, he is my world.

My everything.

Rising and setting sun.

I whisper his name into the sweat filled air but it is useless. For angels cannot hear the murmurs from the pits of hell.

And that hell is where I reside.

Living, breathing and existing without my other half… my better half.

My angel is on a shooting star.

And one day I will pray on that star, sending him back to me to eternally be linked in such a magical way even the gods stand in awe.

That is, if I can survive just one more night.

One more night in the pits of hell.

Just to find the one shooting star in a maze of black and blue.

With million in one odds, I know I need to keep breathing.

For that one chance… chance at my fairy tale ending.


	2. Princess of the Ball

_"Eggs? You made eggs?" A man in the shadows growls, snarling in a way that only animals and the truly wild do._

_"Yes… I just thought…" Temperance's voice wavers._

_"You thought nothing, you… you… woman." His voice sends daggers down her already weak form._

_Almost in sync her head ducks just as the plate makes contact with the wall behind her, causing the remnants of breakfast to scatter on her clean clothing._

_"Clean it up, bitch." He smiles, making a fresh print on her bruised skin, "Make yourself useful for once."_

_She opens her mouth but nothing seems to flow from her already bruised lips. What is the point? Another lashing and that is all. It is not like he is going to change._

_Only if there was a reason to change, something to look forward to. A reason when being alive just isn't good enough._

* * *

"Morn' Tempe." A young, brown haired man nods and smiles as Temperance slowly walks into the library.

"Hey Pete." She briefly smiles, trying to hide the tattered body behind her long and baggy clothing.

"Isn't it a little warm for all that?" He grins, setting down his book and walking around his table to get a better view of the woman he has been staring at for the past two years. She barely notices but one day she will, he is betting on it.

With a soft shrug Temperance turns away, making a b-line for the same desk she has been sitting at for the past two years. At first it was out of necessity but as the weeks turned into months, being just far enough from everyone that they left her alone was a way she had grown accustomed to.

"Tempe!" Pete shouts but Temperance is too lost in her own thoughts to notice, "Tempe… I just…" As soon as Pete's hand grips her wrist he knows it is clearly a mistake.

"Owe." Temperance lowly growls, flinching as his nails dig into her fresh scars.

"Sorry Temperance…" Pete slowly hangs his head in shame, in awe at his small frame's capabilities.

"It is fine, really." She tries to assure both of them but the blood pooling on her sleeve tells a different story, "Just had rough day boxing is all."

"Oh, okay."

"Is that all you needed?" Temperance turns, pointing toward the empty desk a few feet away, "I do have some studying I would like to do before class."

"No!" He almost unnoticeably snaps. _Why won't she listen to me? Damn woman._

"Then what is it Pete?" She glares, clearly impatient.

"You see…" He slowly fumbles, "My big hot shot cousin is having this event in his honor and I need a woman to take with me and this woman needs…"

"I do not understand what you are implying Pete. It is not as if your family will think any less of you because of your lack of a partner." Her blunt rebuff was enough to send him over the edge but he knew he needed to keep his calm for once this woman was his; his life would finally be complete.

"I just thought… maybe… that you would accompany me?" Pete's soft pleading brown orbs shoot up, "I know it is a long shot but if I brought you then maybe… they would be proud of me unlike that ass of a cousin. He knocks some damn cheerleader up and now all of a sudden he is the king of my damn castle."

"Pete…" Temperance's lack of understand is quite apparent as her words barrel through his heart, "I am already involved."

"Just as friends," Pete steps back, his cheeky grin somehow soft and reassuring, "My cousin's got this thing… and if I show up with a pretty little lady like yourself at the ball well old Seels he won't know what hit him."

"So I will be your…" _Think Temperance, think. It is not as though he has asking much of you, clearly you can rationally accept his conundrum and solution._

"Date." Pete's smile breaks through her path of mental destruction, "A friend who I will dance with a bit and have on my arm. That is all."

"Just friends." Temperance's small smile creeps up filling her whole body with life, "That is if we can come to a reasonable amount of rules dictating the event."

"Yes! Whatever you want, just tell me and I will do it."

"That seems acceptable."

"Thanks." Pete beams, unable to keep his joy to himself, "I know you may not be the only woman at the event but to me… hell to all the men there you'll be the queen of the ball."


	3. The Satire in the Suit

Temperance twirled once more in the mirror, unable to shake the sneaking suspicion that tonight was going to be disastrous at best. Normally she was not good with clues but if her sudden gagging reflex was any indication, tonight was going to be a night she would rather forget. Glancing over her form she shrugged once before strolling into the living room.

It was just dinner with a friend, what could be so horrible about that? Over the last week she had made it perfectly clear her intentions and Pete agreed. But why couldn't she shake this suspicion? It was just Pete, a puppy dog of a man. He couldn't even harm a fly if he tried.

"You look a little too dressed up for a dinner, babe." A man emerged from the darkness, wrapping his arms firmly around the silk draped figure.

"Well I was told it was a black tie event and well… I just… Mikey…" She sighed, unable to shake the pit growing in her stomach.

"You want to be the prettiest woman there." The man smiled, pulling her tightly toward him on a growl, "I will let you in on a little secret, even if you were in a paper bag, you would still be the prettiest woman there."

"Aww, Mikey, you are just saying that." She blushed, peppering his jaw with soft kisses.

"I may be a little bias but it is the truth." He adamantly chuckled, "Temp, you are one in a million."

"Mikey you just…" Her rant about biases and the truth was cut short at the sound of a singular knock at the door.

"Your chariot awaits my dear." Mikey smiled, "Just know, at the end of the night that dress isn't going to make it past the living room."

Giggling like a child, Temperance stepped forward and in Pete's view. The blood all but pooled at his feet as his jaw dropped. She looked more amazing then he ever thought possible. Sure he had brought her along to rub in his cousin's face but the way her dress hit all her curves so heavenly… damn, he could get used to waking up to her.

"Tempe!" Pete excitedly jumped as the door before him popped all the way open, "You… you… look amazing."

"Pete, this is just…" She strolled out of the apartment and toward the car.

"No, no, no." He interrupted, "Tempe, you don't know how pretty you are. You are… oh my god… Seels won't know what hit him…"

"What was that Pete?" Temperance turned, letting her dress crash up against his suit.

"No… nothing. Ready for a night of fun, Tempe?" Pete smiled; opening the passenger side door and watching as the woman of his dreams slowly slipped in.

"I am sure you cannot dictate my level of enjoyment at this function." Her brow furrowed as he started the engine, "At the very least you could try and alleviate any misfortunes I might have but enjoyment has no relevance."

"Oh, Tempe, you're so silly." Pete laughed, placing his hand firmly on her thigh and playing with the fray of her short dress.

"Pete, I assure you Mikey would not take too kindly to your advances." She scoffed, brushing his hand off her.

"Mikey?" His eyes went wide, "Who's that?"

"My boyfriend, of course." She lightly chuckled as a smile danced across her lips, "The man who opened the door to my apartment. I can show you a picture of us together if you need further proof."

"Oh… right…" He ground out the words. "Him." _Just another obstacle in his devotion. An obstacle that will fall quickly._ Pete chuckled at the thought. Oh, he had planned this out too damn perfectly.

"See!" She smiled, shoving her phone in front of him, "Don't you think he looks very masculine in those shorts?"

"No, Tempe I don't."

"But you didn't look." She frowned.

"Yes, I didn't. I don't need a constant reminder of…" He trailed off, catching himself just in time, "I just believe you is all, Temperance. You have no reason to lie to me."

"No, I don't." She smiled at the picture as Pete parked.

She watched as he slowly slipped out of the car, sudden smile dancing across his lips and a bounce in his step.

"Ready for a night you won't forget?" He grinned, extending his hand toward her.

"Pete, you cannot…"

"It was just a figure of speech, babe." He smiled, wrapping his arm tightly around her waist, "Ready to dance?"

"I believe so."

"Good."

Walking into the brightly lit hall, Temperance gasped at the sheer magnitude of people. The sea of people seemed to never end. Sure she had been around massive groups of people but the herds of suits flowing as one amazed her.

"Pretty amazing for a government function, huh?" Pete nudged her, pulling her out of her revere.

"Yeah…" She whispered, throat suddenly dry.

"Well you ain't seen anything yet." He smiled, twirling her in the hallway, "The night is still young."

Temperance nodded slowly, letting her eyes scan the many different sects at the party.

"Hey Seels!" Pete called, waving to a man standing in the middle of the crowd in Army Blues.

"Pete." He smiled as he made his way toward the couple, "Glad you could make it."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, bro." Pete smiled, eyes refusing to leave Temperance.

"And who is this young lady?"

"My date." He beamed, "Temperance Brennan. She's hot, huh?"

"Yes, she is quite stunning." The man before them smiled, eyes twinkling as they ran up and down the stunning figure before him.

"And Temperance, baby, this is my cousin."

Temperance's eyes slowly twinkled up and fell onto the most radiating being she had ever laid eyes on. The man practically oozed comfort and after the uncomfortable drive over she had, she just really needed a hug… a comforting, sexy hug.

"Seeley Booth." The enigma smiled, "I hope you are having a wonderful evening, considering the insanity."

"Oh, yes, of course." She babbled, unable to keep her breathing in rhythm.

"If you need anything, you know where to find me." The man ran his hand down her shoulder as he left, winking in her direction.

"Mr. Booth…" She stuttered, suddenly unable to keep words from flowing.

"Yes… Temperance was it?"

Temperance quickly nodded, suddenly embarrassed at her question.

"I was just wondering… if maybe you could tell me… what exactly this function is for." She rambled, refusing to look up.

"Why don't I just show you?" He smiled.

"But she is…" Pete spoke but it was too late, she was already whisked away and amidst the crowd.

_She will pay for that._ He glared as he watched intently for his date. _She will pay tonight._


End file.
